"I know," replied Slingsby. "It's Morano. He's a count, and will be a marquis and no end of a swell if he doesn't get killed motoring. Which, after all, seems likely."
I thought no more of the man until his name cropped up whilst we were sitting at tea on the Claytons' veranda.
"We passed Morano," said Slingsby. And Mrs. Clayton said with some pride--she was a pretty, kindly woman, but she rather affected the Spanish nobility:
"He lunched with us to-day. You know he is staying in Gibraltar."
"Yes, I know that," said Slingsby. "For I met him a little time ago. He wanted to know if there was a good Government launch for sale."
Mrs. Clayton raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"A launch? Surely you are wrong. He is devoting himself to aviation."
"Is he?" said Slingsby, and a curious look flickered for a moment over his face.
We left the house half an hour afterwards, and as soon as we were out of sight of it Slingsby opened his hand. He was holding a visiting card.
"I stole this off the hall table," he said. "Mrs. Clayton will never forgive me. Just look at it."
His face had become extraordinarily grave. The card was Morano's, and it was engraved after the Spanish custom. In Spain, when a woman marries she does not lose her name. She may be in appearance more subject to her husband than the women of other countries, though you will find many good judges to tell you that women rule Spain. In any case her name is not lost in that of her husband; the children will bear it as well as their father's, and will have it printed on their cards. Thus, Mr. Jones will call on you, but on the card he leaves he will be styled:
if Robinson happens to be his mother's name, and if you are scrupulous in your etiquette you will so address him.
Now, on the card which Slingsby had stolen, the Count Morano was described:
"I see," I replied. "Morano had a German mother."
I was interested. There might be nothing in it, of course. A noble of Spain might have a German mother and still not intrigue for the Germans against the owners of Gibraltar. But no sane man would take a bet about it.
"The point is," said Slingsby, "I am pretty sure that is not the card which he sent in to me when he came to ask about a launch. We will go straight to the office and make sure."